Going For Gold

He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, he will give eternal life. Romans 2:6-7

Faith and works go hand-in-hand. We cannot ‘work’ our way into heaven because the gift of salvation is obtain by faith alone. Works are the product of our faith, the manifestation of our relationship with God. They will be judged by fire – and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done (1 Cor 3:13). The question is, will our work survive or will it be burned up? Are we building a ministry of gold or of hay?

My intention is to build with gold, silver and precious stones in order to bring honour to God and glory to His name. But, if I’m honest, as I look back over my life, I can see a lot of wood, hay and straw. The key, of course, is not to give up, but to have patience in well-doing, for as it is often said, the Christian life is a marathon, not a sprint.

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

When we live our lives in ‘sprint’ mode, saying yes to every activity and role available, we burn out quickly, leaving a trail of smouldering wood behind us. Building works of gold and silver takes time, energy and focus, but most of all, it takes an awareness of God’s leading and the guidance of the Spirit to those things that He has prepared for us to do. We are His workmanship and we work for His glory.

Even though the gift of spending eternity in the presence of God far outweighs anything we could possibly do, we should, nevertheless, continually strive for works of gold, because He deserves nothing less.